Kalaidzhi Culture: Take a real look into Bulgaria’s Bride Market

The bride market of Bulgaria made a huge wave when news sites like Daily Mail published pieces on this. We now have cause to believe in the market being a cultural good in some regard.

European formal education for decades has dictated the acceptance and rejection of many practices, categorising them as “backwards” and “inhumane”.

According to Daily Mail:

“Scores of young Roma women have been paraded before potential suitors at a Bulgarian ‘bride market’ where poor families are given the chance to arrange financially beneficial marriages for their children.

And surrounding them in the car boot-like sale event are young men whose family hope to find them a wife at a good cost.”

Contrary to the reports of mainstream media, the bride market does have enough meaning to beliefs and cultures of Kalaidzhis.

The documentary covers the interesting nature of shopping and wholesome fun the girls have. The interviewer also confesses that in reality, the market is not as bad as you’d think from the outside. It also shows the setbacks of such a lifestyle – no education for one.

The bride market style is certainly different from the usual Nigerian bride price. It may leave you on the fence about culture and modernisation.